The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Articulating regions of the anatomy can include areas where two bone sections move relative to one another. As one example, an acetabulum formed by a hip bone can provide a region for articulating with a head of a femur, or thigh bone. Over time, the articulating region can become injured or worn. Prostheses have been developed to replace the acetabulum and/or the femoral head. When both the acetabulum and the femoral head are replaced, the replacement is generally referred to as a total joint replacement.
The total joint replacement can require an acetabular cup component providing a bearing or articulating surface for the acetabulum and a femoral component providing an articulating surface for the femoral head. The acetabular cup and femoral components can generally be positioned relative to various portions of the associated anatomy in a substantially fixed manner. Portions of the anatomy can be resected or removed in preparation for receiving the associated prosthetic component. The removal of bone material can weaken the anatomy. It is desirable to design prosthetic components capable of handling the loads transmitted through the joint while minimizing the amount of anatomy removed in preparation for receiving the prosthetic component.